St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-02-24
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS.


To the tax payers of ST. Johnsbury
/ hereby respectfully submit the fol-
lowing as the annual report, in part, OF
the schools of the town:
There are in the town Is districts;
this includes the union school which
comprises districts /, 2 and 3. Schools
have been held in all the districts. In
point of fact schools have been in ses-
sion from April 4, 1886 to Mar. 25
1887.
Weeks of schooling as follows Un-
ion schools, 80 and 80 weeks; No. 5
33 weeks Nos. IA and Is, 30 weeks
each; Nos. IL, 10 and IL, 30 weeks
each Nos. 6 and 10, % weeks each
Nos. and IL, 26 weeks each No. 9,
"a weeks. All of the districts, except
ing No. Z, have had 3 terms. Spring
terms 80, fall %, winter 80. Total 80
terms.
1t is gratifying to note that there has
been less changing of teachers than
formerly, districts retaining the same
teachers throughout the year. The re-
suit has fully justified the act; 43
teachers have been employed. The
aggregate attendance for the town is
as follows: Spring term, 62l /; fall, 802;
winter, Csc. This shows marked
falling off in attendance as compared
with the past. Especially is this true
of the union school, the average at
tendance for the past few years being
in 1872, 4SO; '83, 5O4 '84, 534; '85, 523
go, SOY '67, 479. Thus since "a there
has been gradual falling off till the
numbe is below '82. One reason is,
doubtless, owing to the moving away
of families another is the eagerness
to put the children to work. In many
cases it is doubtless unavoidable, but
it is none the less to be deeply regret
ted.
My relations with the teachers have
been very pleasant. l have received
from them kind consideration for my
suggestions, readiness to cooperate
in all plans for the good of the school.
1t is with pleasure that bear witness
to their fidelity, their honest desire and
aim to do the best for the scholars that
they cOnld. Doubtless mistakes were
made, perfect satisfaction may not
have been given to all in the district,
yet | believe that they have nObly and
honOrably sought to do the best they
could, and have fairly earned their
with school work, have any just con-
ception of the exhausting nature of the
work, of the petty annOyances, of the
many veXatiOns-the hot vitiated air,
the steady drain and strain on the ner-
vOus system. Parents and friends of
education can do much to improve our
schools by frequent visitation, by
words of encouragement and by sustain
ing the teachers in their efforts to ele
vate and improve the school.
There are few suggestions the
adoption of which would / believe
tend to the further improvement of our
district schools. No. Z, Goss Hollow,
needs a new school house and more
weeks of schooling. This is one of the
few districts in which the number of
scholars are increasing. AS the pros
pect of the town system taking the
place of the present district appears to
be growing beautifully less, it is to be
hoped that the district will at it's COM
ing annual meeting take steps to Sc
cure a neat, comfortable building, also
vote 80 weeks schooling of three
terms. No. -13, East st. Johnsbury,
needs re-furnishing, more blackboard
and more weeks of schooling. [ trust
that the district may see their way
clear to re-seat the house with single
desks. This school labors under the
serious disadvantage of being too large
for one school and too small to divide
into two. The result is unsatisfactory
to teachers, scholars and all. The
smaller children claim so much of the
teachers time that the older pupils do
not receive the benefit from the school
which they should. The difficulty
might in measure be met 10y having
Is weeks schooling in winter; at the
expiration of 10 weeks dismissing the
primary scholars and giving the re-
five weeks exclusively to the
advanced pupils. One of the most eff
ficient and successful district schools |
is No. Is, Summerville. | believe it
would be more so, do still better work |
were the district to vote 81 weeks for
the primary and 35 for the other
grades. 1t is question whether four
grades will be required the coming
year. | recommend that the district
the prudential committee to
sustain three or four grades as in his
Judgment the best interest of the dis
trict shall require. | would also re-
No. 5, st. JOhnsbury Centre,
to vote 81 weeks for primary and 35
for the advanced grades. If the dis
tricts No. l l, Fair Ground, and No. Ia,
road, can legally make sat
arrangement with the pru-
Dental committee of the village by
which their pupils could attend the
lniOn schools it would be the best
hing for them.
During the year l have made ZIG
visits. If the supervision of the schools
las not been all that could be desired
t is evident that the difficulty lies not
n the will but in the inability of
Your Obedient servant,
E. L. SANFORD, Supt.
st. JOhnsbury, VT, Feb. 81, 1887.
What the Result VIII BE.
Southern Leader (CoIored Rep.).
IF RIaipa anH CIoualonH tba |